CD Review: Mathias Eick - Skala

Mathias Eick - Skala
(ECM 274 3228, CD Review by Chris Parker)

Although regarded as a 'jazz' album by virtue of its instrumentation (trumpet, saxophone, rhythm section, plus occasional harp and keyboards), trumpeter Mathias Eick's second ECM recording as leader is as likely to draw inspiration for his fluent, accessible compositions from pop and classical music as from jazz.

True, Jan Garbarek's 'plaintive cry' is cited as among the sources of one of the album's most striking pieces, 'Edinburgh' (Tore Brunborg featured on tenor), but other tunes have their sources in rock music: 'Oslo', for example, is discernibly influenced by Radiohead's trademark melancholic soar over assertively scurrying drums; 'Joni' nods to the great Candian singer/songwriter via the sincerest form of flattery by using her hypnotically compelling, long-lined verse structure – centred on Andreas Ulvo's rolling piano – as the basis for one of the album's standout tracks.

Eick's trumpet style relies, in his words, on an attempt to 'create a tone that was a mix of all the sounds I loved' (among his trumpet models are Kenny Wheeler, Chet Baker and Tomasz Stanko), and there is indeed a haunting purity in everything he plays, particularly when set, as in the album's closer, 'Epilogue', against the vigorous drumming of Torstein Lofthus.

There are moments on this attractive, immediately appealing album when a ravishing soundscape (cf. another recent ECM album featuring Brunborg, Manu Katché's Third Round) cannot quite compensate for the lack of two of jazz's (arguably) defining features, grit and unpredictability, but overall, Eick admirers will find Skala irresistibly seductive.

Mathias Eick is expected to be touring in the UK towards the end of this year. He also appears on Vespers, the recent release, also from ECM, from the quintet of pianist/harpist Iro Haarla.

CD Review: Blissful Ignorance - Meadow

CD Review: Blissful Ignorance - Meadow
(Edition Records, Review by Tom Gray)

Don’t be fooled by the cover. The moody black and white photograph of the three gentlemen who comprise this group (saxophonist Tore Brunborg, pianist John Taylor and drummer Thomas Strønen) may suggest Nordic introspection, but this is an album filled with music that is also frequently joyous and infused with a palpable sense of groove.

The strength of the compositions here (which are mainly contributed by Brunborg) is immediately apparent. On pieces such as ‘Blissful Ignorance’ and ‘Will’, gently lilting ostinatos underpin themes constructed from relatively simple folky melodic fragments, but which then surprise with a series of unconventional harmonic sidesteps.

The material comes to life in the hands of these masterful yet utterly selfless musicians. Brunborg most obviously evokes Jan Garbarek with his beguiling tone and serpentine phrasing, though his playing occasionally hints at something more rugged - I heard nods towards John Surman at a few points. Taylor pares down his usually rich harmonic vocabulary here, wisely keeping his voicings light and allowing the compositions to breathe. He also adds a percussive bite with his left hand, while his improvised lines dazzle as ever. People familiar with Strønen’s work in the group Food will know that he can truly make a drum kit sing, an ability which is showcased perfectly on ‘Reven’. This piece should be essential listening for anyone looking for a masterclass in group empathy and how to use space (as, in fact, should the whole album).

Signing this fine trio was a shrewd move for Edition Records, which now has another instant classic in its catalogue to go alongside Mark Lockheart’s ‘In Deep’ and Phronesis’s ‘Alive’.

The next scheduled UK appearances by Meadow are in August – they play the Glasgow and Brecon jazz festivals. A London date at the Forge Venue is confirmed for October 19th.

Blissful Ignorance was released in the UK on 31st January